Andrew Siegel MD 6/17/2017
You may know your I.Q., but do you know your V.I.Q.? Let’s begin with a test of your knowledge of lady parts and determine your “Vaginal Intelligence Quotient” or V.I.Q. See how many of 8 female genital structures you can properly identify. Answers are at end of this blog entry. Note that there is one anatomical part that virtually no one gets right. (Thank you Michael Ferig, Wikipedia Commons).
The Female Nether Parts
The female nether parts are a mystery zone to a surprising number of women, who often have limited knowledge of the inner workings of their own genital anatomy. Many falsely believe that the “pee hole” and “vagina hole” are one and the same. The truth is that the terrain between a female’s thighs is more complicated than one would think…. three openings, two sets of lips, mounds, swellings, glands, erectile tissues and very specialized muscles. While female anatomy may be mysterious to many women, many men are downright clueless and would be well served to learn some basic anatomy. Learn lady parts…knowledge is power!
“The vagina is a place of procreative darkness, a sinister place from which blood periodically seeps as if from a wound.”
“Even when made safe, men feared the vagina, already attributed mysterious sexual power – did it not conjure up a man’s organ, absorb it, milk it, spit it out limp?”
–Tom Hickman from “God’s Doodle”
The names of several lady parts begin with the letter “V”—vulva, vagina and vestibule. What could be a better choice since the area (the vulva) is V-shaped?
Thank you Pixabay for image above
The Vulva
The vulva is the outside part of the female genitals. It consists of the mons pubis, labia majora, labia minora, vestibule, vaginal opening, urethral opening and clitoris.
The mons is the triangular mound that covers the pubic bone, consisting of hair-bearing skin and underlying fatty tissue. It extends down on each side to form the labia majora, folds of hair-bearing skin and underlying fatty tissue that surround the entrance to the vagina. Within the labia majora are two soft, hairless skin folds known as labia minora, which safeguard the entrance to the vagina. The upper part of each labia minora unites to form the clitoral hood (prepuce or foreskin) at the upper part of the clitoris and the frenulum (a small band of tissue that secures the clitoral head to the hood) at the underside of the clitoris.
(Anatomy of the vulva and the clitoris by OpenStax College – Anatomy & Physiology, Connexions Web site. http://cnx.org/content/col11496/1.6/, Jun 19, 2013., CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30148635, no changes made to original)
The Vestibule
The vestibule is the “entryway,” an area located between the inner lips that contains the entrances to the vagina and the urethra. Urine exits from the urethral opening on the vestibule and not from the vaginal opening. There is a small amount of vestibule tissue that separates the urethral opening from the vaginal opening.
The Vagina
The word “vagina” intelligently derives from the Latin word for “sheath,” a cover for the blade of a knife or sword. Most women (and men) falsely think of the vagina as the external female genitals. The external lady parts are the VULVA as opposed to the VAGINA, which is internal.
The Clitoris
The word clitoris derives from the Greek “kleitoris,” meaning “little hill.” The clitoris is uniquely an erectile organ that has as its express purpose sexual function, as opposed to the penis, which is a “multi-tasking” sexual, urinary and reproductive organ. The clitoris is the center of female sensual focus and is the most sensitive erogenous zone of the body, playing a vital role in sensation and orgasm. If an orgasm can be thought of as an “earthquake,” the clitoris can be thought of as the “epicenter.” The head of the clitoris, typically only the size of a pea, is a dense bundle of sensory nerve fibers thought to have greater nerve density than any other body part.
Like the penis, the clitoris is composed of an external visible part and an internal, deeper, invisible part. The inner part is known as the crura (legs), which are shaped like a wishbone with each side attached to the pubic arch as it descends and diverges. The visible part is located above the opening of the urethra, near the junction point of the inner lips. Similar to the penis, the clitoris has a glans (head), a shaft (body) and is covered by a hood of tissue that is the female equivalent of the prepuce (foreskin). The glans is extremely sensitive to direct stimulation.
The shaft and crura contain erectile tissue, consisting of spongy sinuses that become engorged with blood at the time of sexual stimulation, resulting in clitoral engorgement and erection. The clitoral bulbs are additional erectile tissues that are sac-shaped and are situated between the crura. With sexual stimulation, they become full, plumping and tightening the vaginal opening. The crura and bulbs can be thought of as the roots of a tree, hidden from view and extending deeply below the surface, yet fundamental to the support and function of the clitoral shaft and clitoral glans above, which can be thought of as the trunk of a tree.
When the clitoris is stimulated, the shaft expands with accompanying swelling of the glans. With increasing stimulation, clitoral retraction occurs, in which the clitoral shaft and glans withdraw from their overhanging position, pulling inwards against the pubic bone.
The clitoris is a subtle and mysterious organ, a curiosity to many women and men alike. It is similar to the penis in that it becomes engorged when stimulated and because of its concentration of nerve fibers, is the site where most orgasms are triggered. Clitorises, like penises, come in all different sizes and shapes. In fact, a large clitoris does not appear much different from a small penis. The average length of the clitoral shaft including the glans is 0.8 inches (range of 0.2-1.4 inches). The average width of the clitoral glans is 0.2 inches (range of 0.1-0.4 inches).
The clitoris becomes engorged and erect during sexual stimulation. Two of the pelvic floor muscles—the bulbocavernosus (BC) and ischiocavernosus (IC)—engage and contract and compress the deep internal portions of the clitoris, maintaining blood pressures within the clitoral erection chambers to levels that are significantly higher than systemic blood pressures.
The bulbocavernosus reflex is a contraction of the BC and IC muscles (and other pelvic floor muscles including the anal sphincter) that occurs when the clitoris is stimulated. This reflex is important for maintaining clitoral rigidity, since with each contraction of the BC and IC muscles there is a surge of blood flow to the clitoris, perpetuating clitoral engorgement and erection.
Thank you Michael Ferig, Wikipedia Commons, for illustration above
Answers to Anatomy Quiz:
LM: labia majora (outer lips); VV: vaginal vestibule; Lm: labia minora (inner lips); C: clitoris; U: urethra (urinary channel); V: vagina; H: hymenal ring (remnant of membrane that partially covered vaginal opening); A: anus (butthole)
Your V.I.Q.:
0 correct: Vaginally feeble
1-2 correct: Vaginally deficient
3-4 correct: Vaginally average
5-6 correct: Vaginally superior
7 correct: Vaginally gifted
8 correct: Vaginal Genius…as sharp as a seasoned gynecologist!
Wishing you the best of health,
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Dr. Andrew Siegel is a practicing physician and urological surgeon board-certified in urology as well as in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. Dr. Siegel serves as Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery at the Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School and is a Castle Connolly Top Doctor New York Metro Area, Inside Jersey Top Doctor and Inside Jersey Top Doctor for Women’s Health. His mission is to “bridge the gap” between the public and the medical community that is in such dire need of bridging.
Author of MALE PELVIC FITNESS: Optimizing Sexual & Urinary Health http://www.MalePelvicFitness.com
Author of THE KEGEL FIX: Recharging Female Pelvic, Sexual and Urinary Health http://www.TheKegelFix.com (much of the content from today’s entry was excerpted from The Kegel Fix)
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